FreeBSD Manual Pages

CHFLAGS(1) FreeBSD General Commands Manual CHFLAGS(1)
NAMEchflags -- change file flags
SYNOPSISchflags [-fhvx] [-R [-H | -L | -P]] flagsfile...DESCRIPTION
The chflags utility modifies the file flags of the listed files as speci-
fied by the flags operand.
The options are as follows:
-f Do not display a diagnostic message if chflags could not modify
the flags for file, nor modify the exit status to reflect such
failures.
-H If the -R option is specified, symbolic links on the command line
are followed and hence unaffected by the command. (Symbolic
links encountered during traversal are not followed.)
-h If the file is a symbolic link, change the file flags of the link
itself rather than the file to which it points.
-L If the -R option is specified, all symbolic links are followed.
-P If the -R option is specified, no symbolic links are followed.
This is the default.
-R Change the file flags of the file hierarchies rooted in the
files, instead of just the files themselves. Beware of uninten-
tionally matching the ``..'' hard link to the parent directory
when using wildcards like ``.*''.
-v Cause chflags to be verbose, showing filenames as the flags are
modified. If the -v option is specified more than once, the old
and new flags of the file will also be printed, in octal nota-
tion.
-x Do not cross mount points.
The flags are specified as an octal number or a comma separated list of
keywords. The following keywords are currently defined:
arch, archived
set the archived flag (super-user only)
nodump set the nodump flag (owner or super-user only)
opaque set the opaque flag (owner or super-user only)
sappnd, sappend
set the system append-only flag (super-user only)
schg, schange, simmutable
set the system immutable flag (super-user only)
snapshot
set the snapshot flag (filesystems do not allow changing
this flag)
sunlnk, sunlink
set the system undeletable flag (super-user only)
uappnd, uappend
set the user append-only flag (owner or super-user only)
uarch, uarchive
set the archive flag (owner or super-user only)
uchg, uchange, uimmutable
set the user immutable flag (owner or super-user only)
uhidden, hidden
set the hidden file attribute (owner or super-user only)
uoffline, offline
set the offline file attribute (owner or super-user only)
urdonly, rdonly, readonly
set the DOS, Windows and CIFS readonly flag (owner or
super-user only)
usparse, sparse
set the sparse file attribute (owner or super-user only)
usystem, system
set the DOS, Windows and CIFS system flag (owner or super-
user only)
ureparse, reparse
set the Windows reparse point file attribute (owner or
super-user only)
uunlnk, uunlink
set the user undeletable flag (owner or super-user only)
Putting the letters ``no'' before or removing the letters ``no'' from a
keyword causes the flag to be cleared. For example:
nouchg clear the user immutable flag (owner or super-user only)
dump clear the nodump flag (owner or super-user only)
A few of the octal values include:
0 Clear all file flags.
1 Translates to the nodump keyword.
2 Translates to the uchg keyword.
3 Translates to the uchg, nodump keywords.
4 Translates to the uappnd keyword.
10 Translates to the opaque keyword.
20 translates to the uunlnk keyword.
Other combinations of keywords may be placed by using the octets
assigned; however, these are the most notable.
Unless the -H, -L, or -h options are given, chflags on a symbolic link
always succeeds and has no effect. The -H, -L and -P options are ignored
unless the -R option is specified. In addition, these options override
each other and the command's actions are determined by the last one spec-
ified.
You can use "ls -lo" to see the flags of existing files.
Note that the ability to change certain flags is dependent on the current
kernel securelevel setting. See security(7) for more information on this
setting.
If chflags receives a SIGINFO signal (see the status argument for
stty(1)), then the current filename as well as the old and new flags are
displayed.
EXIT STATUS
The chflags utility exits 0 on success, and >0 if an error occurs.
EXAMPLES
Recursively clear all flags on files and directories contained within the
foobar directory hierarchy:
chflags-R0foobarSEE ALSOls(1), chflags(2), stat(2), fts(3), security(7), symlink(7)HISTORY
The chflags command first appeared in 4.4BSD.
BUGS
Only a limited number of utilities are chflags aware. Some of these
tools include ls(1), cp(1), find(1), install(1), dump(8), and restore(8).
In particular a tool which is not currently chflags aware is the pax(1)
utility.
FreeBSD Ports 11.2 June 12, 2018 FreeBSD Ports 11.2